Pros And Cons Of 1776 To 1876

One of the most influential countries of the world, the Unites States has only appeared on the global stage as a superpower in the last hundred years or so. Their economic decisions resonate through the world market and their navy keeps the seas shipping lanes free for all nations usage. They are looked to as enforcer of peace and freedom, from fighting communism in Korea to counteracting terrorism in the Middle East. However, this was not always the case. To see how these wonders were eventually achieved it is necessary to look into the past, more specifically their first hundred years as a nation, 1776 to 1876. This successful foundation century should be lionized for overcoming near impossible foreign and domestic obstacles, expanding

The first task set before the fledgling nation was to create a government, from scratch, not seen in two thousand years. The leaders had no model for which to base the new government off of and most did not want a strong government because of the fear that it would become a tyranny like England’s had. Regardless of these setbacks in November 1777 the delegates of the Continental Congress ratified America’s first constitution, The Articles of Confederation( History.com). From the beginning sectional differences were apparent and arose because of the multiple regions of the country. The south’s economy relied heavily on cash crops such as cotton and tobacco while the North contained 85% of all factories in the US( Civil War). Thus bringing about the issue of slavery and unfortunately the Civil War when an agreement could not be reached. This war would tear apart the nation pitting family members against each other and leaving behind a swath a destruction. By the end, 620,000 people had lost their lives, but America overcame the

Without it is possible that they would never have emerged as a superpower. The Louisiana purchase and Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo purchase were acquired in 1803 and 1848 respectively. These two land purchase were the result of strong negotiations and a dominate win by a growing military over Mexico in the Mexican American war. Between the two of them they account for a little over a third of the United States current land coming in at 1,353,000 square miles(Office of the Historian). The population was still continuing to double about every twenty five years and with this influx of people the land would have been over crowded (Bailey, Cohen, Kennedy 308). However, with the purchase of land from other countries people were able to spread out westward. To further increase settlement Congress passed the Land act of 1820 allowing for eighty acres to be bought at a dollar twenty-five per acre.( Bailey, Cohen, Kennedy 259). As more settlers moved west the population center also shifted westward showing the migration trend away from the coast. Furthermore, expansion unlocked a plethora of natural resources. The fertile soil of the Midwest has made it known as America’s breadbasket. The food coming out of the region allowed for the population growth and industrialization in the north by providing enough food so that they only need to work in factories. Along with soil the land provided swaths